Group working towards nomination of Kallas in case electoral college is convened
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A group of local politicians and Riigikogu members has started collecting signatures in support of nominating Siim Kallas as their presidential candidate in the electoral college.

The Riigikogu will convene to elect the country’s next president on Aug. 29 this year. Its members will have three ballot rounds to choose the new head of state - if they don’t manage to reach a compromise, the election is postponed and an electoral college called.

In other words, the group now working in favor of Kallas’ nomination wants to be prepared in case the president should only be elected by the electoral college.

Kallas told ERR on Friday that he was happy about the group’s efforts, adding that he didn’t know the precise number of supporters, but that the list would likely be made public soon.

In its statement, the group wrote that Estonia needed a president “with extensive experience in international relations and who has participated in the management of Europe's economic and political processes.”

Other traits the group attributed to Kallas were that he is “intellectually capable”, and that he would be a president with the ability to “broaden our opinion space and bring a European cognition to domestic policy discussions.”

Kallas is the honorary chairman of the Reform Party. So far, the party has not yet decided who to nominate as its official candidate. Besides Kallas, the party is considering supporting the candidacy of Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand (independent) and MEP Urmas Paet.

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